Flush valve actuating device



Aug. 26, 1969 I F V E ETAL 3,462,768

FLUSH VALVE ACTUATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 9, 1967 INVENTORS PALMA ADRIEN LEFEBVRE WILLY OTT? GELHAR RNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 4-67 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A flush valve actuating device having a solenoid supporting bracket designed for easy hook-on attachment at any place along the top edge of the rear wall of a toilet tank. A cam lever, pivotally connected by one end to the solenoids movable core and attached by a flexible member running from its other end to the flush valve, has sliding movement over a cam directly translating the horizontal retraction of the solenoid core into a vertical valve lifting pull. The degree of vertical valve lifting pull on the setting of the lifting end of the cam lever so that it be directly over the tanks valve are both adjustable.

The present invention relates to improvements in a flush valve actuating device that is electrically operated and useable in association with a remote control such as an automatic flushing activator.

Automatic toilet flushers are for the most part expensive, complicated, troublesome to service and main tain and not infrequently unreliable. Nevertheless, there is a growing demand for automatic activators and it is desirable that simple and dependable means be provided for converting conventional toilet tanks for operation by and in conjunction with electro, electromechanical or electronic activators.

It is an object of this invention to provide a flush valve actuator that may be easily installed on the usual toilet tank and operatively connected with the conventional valve therein.

Another object is to provide an electrically operated flush valve actuating mechanism that is instantly adjustable to locate the valve lifting device directly over the tank flushing valve.

Yet another object is to provide such a flush valve actuator that is of simple construction, compact, durable, reliable and low priced.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toilet unit with part of the tank wall broken away and showing our electrically energized valve lifting device arranged therein;

FIGURE '2 is an enlarged side elevation of the solenoid valve lifter;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view thereof; and

FIGURE 4 is an end view.

In the toilet tank 1, supplied with water in the normal way, the outlet port 2 is surrounded by a valve seat which the flush valve 3 normally closes. To lift this valve and so flush the toilet utilizing an electric circuit the flush valve actuating device will be seen to include a bracket 4 3,462,768 Patented Aug. 26, 1969 ICE designed to hook on the top edge of the back wall of the toilet tank 1 at the desired location therealong. The bracket is formed with an inverted U portion from the base of one end of which U, a platform portion 6 extends horizontally forwards and from opposite sides thereof downbent wings 7 continue that are of triangular form with their rear ends substantially in line with the adjacent arm of the U portion and so serve as braces to the bracket platform 6.

A superposing plate 8 is mounted on the bracket platform 6 by fasteners such as the nut and bolts 9 and 10 on opposite sides thereof near the back of the plate 1. To position this plate in the desired rotative position, the bracket platform has a plurality of bolt-receiving perforations 11 for selectively receiving the bolt 9 as the plate is rotated on the bolt 10, thus allowing it to assume such position as is shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 3.

This rotatably adjustable plate projects forwardly of the platform 6, having on its forward edge a transversely disposed ridge or arch 12 that is of inverted U-shape in side elevation, as is clearly seen in FIGURE 2, and serves as a cam.

A solenoid 13, served by an electric circuit through Wires 14, is secured by its base 15 to the plate 8 with rivets 16 or the like and its movable core 17 in extended position projects forwards to overlie the cam arch 12. There in its vertically slotted forward end a cam lever 18 Whose rear end is pivotally connected by a cotter pin 19 has sliding relation over the cam arch 12 when the solenoid core 17 is retracted or released. The cam lever 18 has a contour on its rear edge that engages and rides over the cam arch 12 to impart a vertical movement to its forward end that connects by a flexible chain 20 with the flush valve 3 when the horizontally sliding core 17 is retracted on the energizing of the solenoid 13. To enable the degree of upward pull on the valve chain 20 to be adjusted, the forward end of the cam lever 18 is provided with a row of apertures 21 to which the upper end of the chain 20 may be selectively connected.

This pull adjustment together with the ability of the bracket 4 to slide along the tanks rear wall and the rotative setting allowed the platform 8 to enable the location of the forward lifting end of the cam lever directly over the flush valve 3 assures the maximum efficiency in the valve actuating function of the solenoid.

By forming the cam lever 18 of a suitable synthetic material such as is sold under the trade means of nylon or teflon, friction drag is reduced effectively.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a flush valve actuating device is provided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device, but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in'a limitative or restrictive sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. An actuating device for the flush valve of a conventional toilet tank comprising a bracket designed to hook on the top edge of the tank wall; a solenoid served by an electric circuit subject to remote control mounted in horizontal position on said bracket; a cam in fixed relation to said solenoid; a rocking lever slidable over said cam and pivotally connected by one end to the movable core of said solenoid; and a flexible member connecting the other end of said lever with tank flush valve, whereby the horizontal movement of the solenoid is converted into vertical movement of said flexible member to unseat the valve.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the hookon bracket has a horizontal platform portion and a plate superposing the same; said plate including said cam and supporting said solenoid.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the hookon bracket includes an inverted U-portion from the end of one arm of which a horizontally disposed platform portion projects forwardly and from opposite sides of which platform Wings extend downwardly with their rear ends in line with the said arm of the U to serve as tank wall engaging braces.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said rocking lever has a plurality of spaced apertures with which said flexible member may be selectably connected.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein said plate is rot-atably adjustable on the platform portion of said bracket to vary the distance from the tank wall of the end of the rocking lever connected to the flush valve.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,626,255 4/1927 Roth 467 2,061,310 11/1936 Kleiser 467 2,813,274 11/1957 Lewis, et al. 412 3,090,967 5/1963 Erhardt, et al. 467 3,173,153 3/1965 Korol, et al. 467 3,334,359 8/1967 Wemgartner 457 F LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4100, 101 

